We found that SLC2A1-AS1 was frequently overexpressed in ESCC tissues and cells, which might be due to the high expression of transcription factor GLI3, and its depletion suppressed ESCC cell growth in vitro and in vivo, migration and invasion as well as glycolysis, and induced cell apoptosis in ESCC cells. This evidence concerns the gene SLC2A1 and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.